There are many ethical issues surrounding the licensing and control of cosmetic alteration services, from tattoo parlours to surgeons these industries need to be regulated for people’s protection but in a way which is sensible and achieves its goals.
Tattoo removal is a big business, many people changing their minds about the artwork they wanted permanently on their body, or being unhappy with the work which was done. Other treatments such as laser hair removal which are also widely available can leave people just as unhappy, because a mistake by the person carrying out the treatment can result in permanent marking or scarring, loss of colour in the skin and other unwanted effects.
On the one hand, these industries need to be regulated to minimise the risk of someone who uses their services having a bad and possibly damaging experience. On the other, the barriers to people entering the market cannot be set too high. If it took three years of training to receive certification to carry out hair reduction procedures then that would increase the price, as well as increasing the number of people who would think about offering it illegally, thus offering a cheaper price to people at an increased risk.
In all areas of cosmetic modification where there is a risk to the subject, the need for training and monitoring has to be weighed against the cost and likelihood of a black market to avoid the problem of unregistered surgeons leaving people with disfigurement, permanent injury, infertility or even worse.
